Radiator protector



Oct, 4, 1938. J. B. GRIFFIN 21,131,874

RADIATOR PRQTECTOR Filed May 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g/OHN 5 GPJFHN 'Oct. 4, 1938. J. B. GRIFFIN 4 RADIATOR PROTECTOR Filed-May 25, 1956 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 .'Patented Oct. 4, 1938 :UNITIED ISTAT automobile radiato a cover composed :bailies 1 whereby the ext 5 "said: radiator may be tentito maintain a sui iaIIeretofore, variousdevices have been employed-for co 10 an automobil flow therethrough co weather. These various devi et-like memb vering and protecting th e radiator so that-the cooling air uld3be limited during cold ces have usually er adapted to be to the grill iniront of axradidi and partly open positypes of radiator proe, difficult toap- 1y baiile the required amount late adesired air flow there yq-automobiledriv composed a-blank removably isecured ator and having a close tlon. iizHowever; these :prior tectors are incon-ve ply; (and no not usual of airadiator to regu Furthermore, man

ers have refrained fr oi covers due to their -u 1 F113: is therefore the :ai tion to provi'de a'simple :ber q'ui'ckly and easily- :app

the-front portion o whichisiadjustable "ly ieffe'ctive's in :operatio hance the appearance automobile.

V itai-s :a further oblectio .vide a'plurality of baffi and removably :secure engagement :over a front p0 radiator tor'regulatethe-air 'diator toany idesi'red -Qther-objects willb suing rd-isclo Referring to the drawzd-i'cated lrkewparts -l rE'igune lw'ShOWS' a :p

:pli'ed :in-cooperative A an the I trontportion of an a to control the flow of air th Fig; 21is a perspec r' Fig: 3 shows a:-

:ferent embodimen Rig. '4 shows a pl ltratedoin Fig. 3;

5 shows a di on wherein a tion herein sill'us l- Rig. 6 shows a-longitudin .salong line-6+6 .of 5;

}the shutter; in; open position;

om using these prior types nsi-ghtlyappearance.

m of the presentinvenbaffle device which may liedand removed from bile radiator and :to such extent as to be highnand-Which will also enf 'the front portion of an f an automo f my invention to prodapted to be resiliently de-in cooperative covering rtion'of an automobile flow through said rae apparent from the ensure of: :my invention.

in I have inike -numer als:

lurality of my devices apd in individual relation to tomobile radiator grill tive view of my lev-ation of a slightly dift of myinvention;

an view of the parts illusfferent embodimentlof my int-baflieincludes a shutter portrated in closed-position;

a1 .section taken sub- !7 shows.

ES FATE T OFFIQE 2,131,874 RADIATOR rnorno'roa John B. Griflin, Oakville, Conn. Application May 25, 1936, Serial No. 81,560

5 Claims. (01. 257-132 ZUI'hiS"iI1VBl'1tl0n relates-to a protector for. r, and, more particularly, of a plurality of cooperating entof air flow through tarded to a desired extable motor-operating tem- Flg. 8 is a transverse section taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

,Referring to the drawings with reference to the embodiment of my invention disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, I have provided a baflle member, 5 generallyindicated at Ill, which, in the present instance, includes a flexible strip ll having a locating hookfl2 secured to itslowerend as by an eyeletlt or othersuitable means. The upper end of strip ll is aperturedsto receive are- 1 9 inforcing eyelet M whereby. the lower hooked end i 5 of a coiled springlt. may be pivotally retained therein. The upper end of spring-I6 terminates in'a loop l'i pivotallyengaged by a hook l8 having a, suitable handle l9 formed thereon.

The baffle members-l0 are adapted to be detachably and resilientlysecured .to the grill 2,!) of an automobile radiator, generally indicated at 2i In accordance with the general-construction of many of the present day vehicle radiators, go the grill miwhich forms a decorative and protecting frontportion of radiator 2| listrovided with a plurality of spaced vertically extending bars 23 braced-by cross memberswl l and 25. Hooks l2 may be located between adjacent bars '23 and engaged under bar 25 as shown, and hooks it may be simllarly'engaged over .-bar,24. It'wil-l be appreciated, of course that the length of :strips -H is so chosen that springs 16 are in resiliently stretched positions when the hooks .30'

' be rem'ovably clamped either in front or behind the verticalbars 23 so that memberslllfl may be removably located in desired positions.

' As shown in Fig. 1, it will'be appreciated that go members W may be located in overlapping relationto completely baflle an entire section of a radiator or in individual spaced relation to regulate the flow of air therethrough. Hence, by engaging the respective hooks I2 and.|8 with A5 crossmembers 24 and 25, one or more baffles may be quicklyand easily located in desired positions. 1' preferably provide the hooks l2 and i8 and spring it, as well aseyelets l3 and M, with the same finish as produced on the radiator ,50 grill ,2!) so that said members will not be particularly noticeable, but will tend to enhance the .appearanceof the front of a vehicle whenmounted imposition. The vstrip .ll maybe made of anytsuitable flexible -material,and Iv preferably compose said strip of a transparent material such as Celluloid or Cellophane and round the ends thereof to prevent tendency of tearing and to also provide a neat appearance. Hence, it will be apparent'that when strips II are composed of a transparent material, my radiator cover will not noticeably change the general appearance of the front of a motor car.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have shown a slightly different embodiment of my invention wherein the upper end of strip H has a hook 21 resiliently secured thereto by an intervening strip of suitable resilient material, suchas a flat strip of elastic webbing 28, which will normally lie under resilient tension when hook 2! is in operative engagement with rod 24. It will be appreciated, of course, that this modified constructionmay be employed in the same manner as heretofore disclosed with relation to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 5 to 8, I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention wherein one or more of the bafiies may include a shutter portion adapted to regulate the flow of air through a series of spaced apertures so that a very exact adjustment of bafiling may be provided. As therein shown, I provide a bailie strip 30 corresponding in general outer contour to my strip H and arranged to be resiliently but removably secured to the radiator grill in any desired positionand in the manner previously described. Strip 30 is provided with a series of spaced aligned apertures 3! illustrated herein as substantially rectangular in form and defined by the respectively spaced longitudinal edges 32 and transverse edges 33. It will be evident, however, that these apertures may be of any suitable size and contour. In forming these apertures in strip 30, the transverse edges 33 extend a short distance beyond the longitudinal edges 32, thus providing opposed slotted portions 34 at the top and bottom of each aperture and extending laterally therefrom to form spaced longitudinally extending guiding lips 35 at each side of apertures 3|.

A shutter member 36 extends longitudinally of strip 30 and is provided with a series of spaced apertures 31 of similar contour and in similar spaced relation to apertures 3| so that member 36 may be slidably and adjustably positioned relative to strip 30 and regulate the opening of the apertures to any desired extent. Figs. 5 and '7 respectively illustrate the shutter in closed and open positions. Shutter 36 passes through slots 34 and frictionally engages lips 35 springing the lips out of the plane of strip 36 so that the shutter will be free for slidable adjustment. To suitably secure the bottom of shutter 36 in engagement with strip 30, I further provide a transversely extending spaced slot 38 of slightly greater extent than the width of member 36 so that the shutter may slidably pass therethrough.

The bottom of the shutter may be provided with an eyelet 39, or other suitable member, serving as a handle and normally preventing the shutter from being pulled out of registering engagement with slot 38. The top of strip 36 adjacent the movable end of shutter 36 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 46. A tubular rivet or eyelet 4| forming an operating handle has a shank portion 42 received within an aperture 43 in the top of shutter 36 and slidably mounted in slot 40. The shank terminates at both ends in flanged heads respectively and frictionally'engaging members 30 and 36 to aid in securing the shutter member in adjusted position. It will thus be evident that a downward pull on eyelet 39 longitudinally of strip 30 will serve to open apertures 3|, and an upward pull on eyelet 4| will serve to close the shutter to the desired extent. The slot 40 limits the maximum movement of the shutter in open and closed positions, and the frictional engagement of the parts maintains the shutter in any readjusted position. Hence, the shutter may be easily and quickly adjusted when the bafiie is located on a radiator grill. My baflie and shutter may be composed of any suitable flexible material and preferably are made from a slightly rigid transparent material such as Celluloid or Cellophane.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. A protective cover for an automobile radiator comprising an elongated flexible strip, a fastening device secured to one end of said strip, a resilient member secured at one end to the opposite end of said strip and at its other end to a second fastening device, said fastening devices being adapted to selectively and removably engage the front Dortion of an automobile radia-' tor whereby the flexible strip may be located in a-desired position.

2. A protective cover for an automobile radiator comprising an elongated flexible strip, a hook secured to the lower end of said strip, an elongated resilient member secured at its lower end to the upper end of said strip, and a second hook secured to the upper end of the resilient mem-' her, said hooks being adapted to selectively engage various portions of an automobile radiator and maintain the flexible strip in desired position under influence of the resilient member.

3. A protective cover for an automobile radiator comprising a plurality of transparent flexible strips in adjacent cooperative relation, a hook secured to the lower end of each strip and adapted to removably interlock with the lower front portion of the radiator, an eyelet at the upper end of each'strin a plurality of elongated resilient members, each being respectively secured at one end to an eyelet, and a hook secured to the upper end of each of said resilient members and adapted to tension said members and interlock with an upper radiator portion whereby the strips may be positioned as desired to regulate the air flow through a radiator as desired.

4. In a radiator cover, an elongated transparent flexible strip having a plurality of substantially rectangular spaced apertures therethrough and longitudinally thereof, the top of each aperture terminating in a transverse slot, an elongated fiexible transparent slide member passing through said slots for slidable movement relative to the flexible strip and having apertures similar in position and shape to said first mentioned apertures, and means limiting the extent of slidable movement of the slide member wherebysaid sets of apertures may be located in desired registering positions to control the effective air flow through theapertures in the flexible strip.

5. Ina radiator cover, an elongated flexible strip, a fastening device secured to one end of the strip, a resilient member secured at one end to the opposite end of the strip and at its other end to a second fastening device, said fastening devices being selectively engageable with the 10 front portion of an automobile radiator, the strip being provided with a series of spaced apertures therethrough, and a shutter member slidably supported by said strip for movement in alignment therewith and having spaced apertures therethrough arranged to be moved into and out of alignment with said other apertures whereby the effective size of the apertures through the strip may be controlled to regulate the air flow to the radiator.

JOHN B. GRIFFIN. 

